Health care workers in Nebraska prisons will begin receiving initial doses of the coronavirus vaccine later this week.
Department of Corrections Director Scott Frakes said 50 doses of the Moderna vaccine will be given to health care workers who "work directly and most consistently with members of the inmate population.â€
Health care workers, along with staff and residents of long-term care facilities, were in the initial priority group for vaccinations.
First responders and those age 75 and over are in the next phase for vaccinations, with essential workers — including educators and corrections workers — to follow.
Frakes said the Corrections Department has established priority groups within its staff.
“To ensure optimum vaccine coverage, staff members are prioritized based on the jobs they hold and their level of contact with the inmate population," he said.
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Inmates, too, are part of the first phase of the state vaccination plan, which expands to include those age 65 and over and younger Nebraskans with high-risk medical conditions, the Department of Corrections said.
Like staff members, inmates will be prioritized, with the first doses going to those at the highest risk for becoming sick because of age, medical condition and other factors.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, about 400 prison staff workers have contracted the coronavirus. There have been 873 cases among inmates, including six reported deaths.
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